Featured Speakers

Kris Perry, MSW, is the Executive Director of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, a leading research and education nonprofit in the field of digital media’s impacts on children and adolescents. Prior to her current role, she has led systems change efforts at the local, state, and national levels in her roles as Senior Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom of California and Deputy Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, and Executive Director of First 5 San Mateo, First 5 California and of the First Five Years Fund.Through it all, Perry has fought to protect children, improve and expand early learning programs, and increase investments in low-income children. Perry was instrumental in returning marriage equality to California after the landmark 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling Hollingsworth v. Perry, which she wrote about in her book Love on Trial (Roaring Forties Press, 2017).

Dr. Julie Sweetland is a sociolinguist and a senior advisor at the FrameWorks Institute.

Since joining FrameWorks in 2012, Dr. Sweetland has designed and led reframing initiatives on climate change, education equity, childhood adversity, and more. Her skill in translating framing research into communication strategy has helped advocates, policymakers, and scientists drive change at the national, state, and grassroots levels. Since 2017, Julie has worked primarily with the public health sector, bringing the science and strategy of framing to health topics like health equity, tobacco control, maternal mortality, and childhood vaccination.

Prior to joining FrameWorks, Julie spent over a decade working in education reform as a classroom teacher, teacher educator, and advocate. At Center for Inspired Teaching, she designed an innovative teacher residency which has since trained hundreds of progressive educators who work throughout DC public schools.

Julie’s linguistic research has focused on the intersection of language and race, with a particular focus on how language can be used to disrupt racism in schools and beyond. Her research has appeared in Journal of Sociolinguistics, Educational Researcher, and she is the co-author of African American, Creole, and Other Vernacular Englishes in Education.

Dr. Sweetland is a graduate of Georgetown University and completed her MA and PhD in linguistics at Stanford University.

David Monahan is the Campaign Director at Fairplay, the leading nonprofit organization committed to helping kids and teens thrive in an increasingly commercialized, screen-obsessed culture, and the only organization dedicated to ending marketing to children. David plans and implements Fairplay’s campaigns, and builds partnerships with advocacy groups and policymakers. David was an Assistant Attorney General in the Consumer Protection Division of the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General for 15 years, including six years as Deputy Division Chief.

Mileva Repasky is a devoted wife, proud mother of three.  Residing in Phoenixville, PA, with her family, 3 dogs, a cat, and 8 chickens, her journey into advocacy was sparked by personal experiences and a deep-rooted commitment to helping others. She has a masters in clinical psychology, and is a passionate advocate for mental health and well-being for our youth. Her advocacy journey gained momentum when her own teenage son faced mental health issues exacerbated by the pressures of modern technology and social media.

Driven by a desire to create a healthier and more supportive educational environment for our youth, she has dedicated herself to raising awareness about the detrimental effects of technology and social media in our school systems. Through her tireless efforts, she strives to cultivate a world where young people can thrive without the overwhelming pressures of the digital age.

Dr. Jenny Radesky is a co-medical director for AAP’s Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. She is also the David G. Dickinson Collegiate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School, where she directs the Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics. Her NIH-funded research examines the use of mobile and interactive technology by parents and young children, parent-child relationships, and child social-emotional development. She authored the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statements Media and Young Minds and Digital Advertising to Children. She is editor of the developmental behavioral pediatrics textbook Encounters With Children, 5th Edition, and sits on the Board of Children Youth and Families at the National Academy of Science. You can follow her on Instagram @jennyradeskymd.

Vakayla D. is a freshman in college. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, finding joy in the company of her loved ones. Vakayla is very active on social media, utilizing platforms like TikTok and Instagram to connect with friends and share good laughs. While she is aware of the negative impacts of social media, she’s mindful of how she engages with these platforms, appreciating their benefits while being conscious of their potential drawbacks. She has a passion for mental wellbeing, and her dream is to lend a voice to young children, particularly those of color, who are underrepresented. As a AAP Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health Youth Advisory Panel member, she contributes to the diverse perspectives within the group and works towards her dream of advocating for those who cannot speak up for themselves.

Willa Blake is a Campaign Associate at Issue One, leading state legislative efforts to advance kids’ online safety and broader tech accountability. She works closely with lawmakers and advocacy coalitions to bridge state and federal policy, ensuring stronger protections for children in the digital world. A digital native, Willa knows firsthand the impact of social media on youth well-being and is passionate about elevating Gen Z voices in the fight for meaningful reform. She collaborates with youth-led organizations like Design It For Us and the Young People’s Alliance to push for bipartisan solutions that make the internet safer for kids.

Isabel Sunderland is a technology reform associate at Issue One, a leading cross-partisan political reform group in Washington, D.C. She works to advance state and federal policies on child safety, platform design, Section 230, data privacy, and national security, advocating for stronger regulations on Big Tech to create a democracy-enhancing information environment.

In addition to her work at Issue One, Isabel is actively involved with Design It For Us, a youth-led movement advocating for safer social media to protect kids, teens, and young adults online. She leads state and federal lobbying efforts for the coalition and has advocated on Capitol Hill and in the White House for kids' online safety. She previously served as a digital content associate for the Real Facebook Oversight Board, a coalition of experts pushing for independent, external oversight of Meta and its platforms. Isabel is a senior at American University in Washington, D.C., pursuing a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Justice and Law."